Holding ring



y 1951 E. F. MIDDLETON ET AL 2,551,384

HOLDING RING Filed May 22, 1948 Z INVE T R5 n dga q -MW AT ORNEYPatented May 1, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLDING RINGApplication May 22, 1948, Serial No. 28,636

4 Claims.

The invention herein disclosed relates to a holding ring that isespecially suitable for holding curtains, tapestry, blankets and thelike.

Curtains, tapestry and the like are frequently provided with openingsthrough which they are suspended from rods by holding rings thatsurround the rods. Blankets, especially for a baby's crib, may also beprovided with openings adjacent the edges or corners, through whichopenings they may be loosely secured to the rods or rails of the crib.

It is an object of this invention to provide a split holding ring forsuch purposes. Another object of the invention is to provide a holdingring of this kind that is provided with a simple and effective lockingarrangement. A further object of the invention is to provide a ring ofthe kind mentioned that is economical to manufacture and that isattractive in appearance.

The foregoing objects and certain advantages that will hereinafterappear are realized in the holding ring, constituting one specificexample of an embodiment of the invention, that is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing and described in detail below.

The drawing includes:

Fig. 1 which is an isometric view of a holding ring embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 which is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 3 which is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 4 which is a fragmentary, side elevation showing the ring with theends thereof separated;

Fig. 5 which is a plan view illustrating the initial step in securingthe ends of the ring together;

Fig. 6 which is an enlarged, fragmentary elevation showing the relationof the interengaging lips just prior to securing the ends of the ring.

The particular holding ring illustrated in the drawing consists of anarrow strip l of resilient and flexible material. The ring may beformed from any suitable material such, for example, as metal or athermo-plastic that is resilient and flexible. Holding rings of the kindshown in the drawing and made from cellulose acetate have proven to behighly satisfactory for the purpose.

At the ends of the strip I, there are interengaging lips which, whenproperly arranged, interengage to hold the and sections of the striptogether. Desirably, the strip is pre-formed in the shape of a ring ofgreater circumference than the length of the strip. Thus, when the endportions of the strip overlap there is a tendency for them to separate.This tendency of the ends to separate is utilized in eifecting thelocking of the ends together to form a closed ring.

Adjacent the end edge 2 of the strip I, there is formed a laterallyextending lug or lip 3 which extends laterally of the plane of the stripfrom the side edge 4 of the strip. The length of the lip 3 isapproximately the same as the thickness of the strip, and the width ofthe lip 3 is slightly greater than the thickness of the strip. In theclosed position of the ring, the lip 3 extends along and engages theside edge 4 of the end portion 5 of the strip.

The end portion 5 of the strip is provided with spaced, oppositelydisposed, overhanging lips 6 and l. The lip 6 is adjacent the end edge 8of the strip. This lip extends laterally from the side edge 4 of thestrip and inwardly to overhang the strip. The laterally extendingportion 9 of the lip is of such length that the inwardly extendingportion In thereof is spaced from the strip a distance but slightlygreater than the thickness of the strip. The lip I is spacedlongitudinally or circumferentially of the strip, from the lip 6 andextends laterally from the opposite side edge of the strip and inwardlyto overhang the strip. Like the lip 6, the laterally extending portionll of the lip l is of such length that the overhanging portion I2 of thelip is spaced from the strip a distance but slightly greater,approximately the same as, the thickness of the strip. The length of theinwardly extending portion In and I2 of the lips 6 and l areapproximately half the width of the strip.

As will be seen from Figures 1, 2 and 3, in the closed position of thering, the end portion of the strip having the lip 3 thereon is engagedunder the overhanging portion of the lips B and I. The lip 3 engages theside edge 4 of the strip and thus prevents pivotal or sidewise movementsof the end portion of the strip. Due to the tendency of the ring to openup, the lip 3 is held against the edge of lip I. In this position, thelip 3 is of sufficient length to engage the side edge of the strip. Thelips B and I restrain the ring from opening up and also with the lip 3stop sidewards or pivotal movement of the end sections of the ring.

To open the ring, the ring is compressed. Upon compression of the ring,and due to its curvature, the lip 3 is released from the side edge ofthe strip as illustrated in Fig. 6. The end section of the ringcontaining the lip 3 can then be twisted or pivoted to a positioncomparable to that shown in Figure 5. In this position, the end sectionis released from the lip 6 and can he slipped out from under the lip 1.When the end sections are thus disengaged and the ring is released, theend edges will separate as shown in Fig. 4, due to the resiliency of thering and the fact that it was pre-formed in the shape of a ring ofgreater circumference than the length of the strip.

With the ring open, one end portion may be inserted through the openingin a curtain, tapestry or blanket and the ring sprung apart to encompassthe rod or rail as the case may be. The ring may then be closed andlocked in the closed position by reversing the operation performed anddescribed above for opening the ring. To close the ring, the end sectioncontaining the lip 3 is brought to the position shown in Fig. 5. The endsection is then allowed to straighten out and is brought under the lip6. With the end section thus arranged, the ring is released. It assumesthe position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 in which the end sections arelocked together.

From the foregoing description of the embodiment of the inventiondisclosed in the drawing and described above, it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that by this invention there is provided asplit holding ring of the kind mentioned that has an eii'ective lockingarrangement; and that will not accidentall become displaced and the ringopened. It will also be apparent that by this invention there isprovided a holding ring that is simple in construction and economical tomanufacture.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made by those skilled inthe art in the details of the embodiment of the invention illustrated inthe drawing and described above within the principle and scope of theinvention as expressed in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A holding ring oi the kind described for holding curtains, tapestry,blankets and the like which holding ring consists of a strip ofresilient material and including longitudinally spaced oppositelyextending, overhanging lips adjacent one end of the strip, the said lipsbeing spaced from the strip an amount substantially equal to thethickness of the strip and a lip extending laterally of the strip fromone side edge thereof and adjacent the other end of the strip.

2. A holding ring of the kind described for holding curtains, tapestry,blankets and the like which holding ring consists of a strip ofresilient material pre-i'ormed in the shape of a ring and includinglongitudinally spaced, overhanging lips adjacent one end of the stripand extending from opposite side edges thereof, the said lips beingspaced from the strip an amount substantially equal to the thickness ofthe strip, and a lip extending laterally of the strip from one side edgethereof adjacent the other end of the strip.

3. A holding ring of the kind described for holding curtains, tapestry,blankets and the like which holding ring consists of a narrow strip ofresilient and flexible material pre-formed in the shape of a ring oflarger circumference than the length of the strip and includinginterlocking lips comprising longitudinally spaced, overhanging lipsadjacent one end of the strip and extending from opposite side edges ofthe strip, the said lips being spaced from the strip an amountsubstantially equal to the thickness of the strip, and a lip extendinglaterally of the strip from one side edge thereof and adjacent the otherend of the strip.

4. A holding ring of the kind described for holding curtains, tapestry,blankets and the like which holding ring consists of a narrow strip ofresilient and flexible material pre-iormed in the shape of a ring ofsmaller circumference than the length of the strip and includinginterlocking lips comprising an overhanging lip at one end of the stripextending from one side edge of the strip, another overhanging lipspaced longitudially from the first mentioned lip and extending from theother side edge of the strip, and a lip at the other end of the strip,extending laterally of the strip from the side edge thereof from whichsaid second mentioned strip extends.

EARL F. MIDDLETON. CARL W. MIDDLETON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references arc of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 150,238 Hagaman Apr. 28, 18741,881,081 Keidel Oct. 4, 1932

